Tracking progress on child and maternal nutrition: A survival and development priority
Publisher/Organizer: UNICEF
Publication date: 2009
Number of pages: 119
Language: English
Overview
This report presents recent survey-based data on global prevalence of undernutrition (stunting, wasting, and underweight) and highlights in particular the problem of stunting, which has prevalence rates significantly higher than underweight rates. It is estimated that approximately 195 million children under the age of 5 are affected by stunting, and that about 129 million children are underweight. The high prevalence of stunting is of great concern not only because stunting is an important underlying cause of child mortality but also because it is a predictor of child development and associated with reduced learning outcomes which leads to reduced income earning capacity in adult life.